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'Today' show tandem toast of the town at MCC forum in Lowell

By Prudence Brighton, Sun Correspondent

Updated:
06/04/2016 08:55:14 AM EDT

LOWELL -- Two stars of morning television lit the nighttime stage at Lowell Memorial Auditorium Friday.

Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb's rapid repartee kept the audience of Middlesex Community College's 18th annual Celebrity Forum laughing as they recalled how they met, how they've influenced each other and how they stick to their mantra, "Our joy is non-negotiable."

The two interviewed each other during a fast-paced hour on stage, with Gifford mugging for the audience and Kotb flashing a brilliant smile.

Gifford and Kotb are co-hosts of the "Today" show 10 a.m. hour. Their biographies describe them both as authors and philanthropists. Gifford is best known for her 15 years on TV's "Regis and Kathie Lee," but she is also an actress and singer.

Kotb has been a television news anchor and "Dateline NBC" correspondent. She has received numerous broadcast journalism awards.

Gifford recalled her surprise in 2008 at finding herself as co-host with Kotb. After her 15 years with Regis Philbin, "I thought I was a post- menopausal has-been. I thought I was done with television." It was supposed to be a one-time appearance, but for Kotb the "show came alive" with Gifford. Kotb had been working with two other co-hosts beginning in 2007, but "we were flatlining."

Gifford initially resisted co-hosting the show, but over "the world's greatest lunch" the two became great friends. "We could not have been more dissimilar or more alike," Gifford said.

The two women clearly admire each other.

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"I was so buttoned up and she was freeform. She kept saying, 'let it breathe'," Kotb said.

"There are people who just change the way a show works. Kathie is one," Kotb said

Gifford began her "Today" show career by refusing to wear an earpiece. "Why should I listen to the control room?" she asked. Then Kotb stopped wearing her earpiece. With that change and the introduction of their now famous glasses of red and white wine, ratings for the show went through the roof, Kotb said.

Kotb recalled an early mentor of hers telling her "bring me moments" not stories. "Kathie creates the environments for moments."

Gifford jumped in saying, "She does that now since she got rid of her earpiece." She added, "The power of television is amazing. If you're authentic and real, and give people something they can believe, they respond," she said. "People are sick of being lied to."

The women talked about their early dreams with Gifford recalling a letter she wrote to Walt Disney when she was young, telling him, "you really need to meet me." She received an encouraging letter in return that she was convinced Disney wrote and signed. Later on when she was working for "Regis and Kathie Lee," Disney was the production company. "See I followed my dream."

Kotb always wanted to be broadcast journalist. She recalled getting her first job in the industry after a 10-day trek through Virginia, Tennessee and the Florida Panhandle being rejected in every town along the way until she arrived in Greenville, Miss. The news director there said, "I like what I see." To the college students attending the event she said, "Remember you just need one person to believe in you."

With sly emphasis, Gifford said she was approached about doing "Good Morning America" "while I was on the road with Bill Cosby." The audience laughed as she said, "There were no incidents." She got the job on "Good Morning America," but quickly realized it was not where she wanted to be.

She saw Philbin perform and immediately liked him. "He has the courage to be stupid and funny," she said. So, she left Good Morning America. "It was magic, and we became very dear friends. And we're even better friends now than we were all those years ago."

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